A number of special events will be held this week to support our local businesses.

Local Bites

Mayor Ashley Swearengin will participate in the next Local Bites event at The Lime Lite, 1054 W. Shaw, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, starting at 5:30 p.m. The Local Bites initiative is a “dine local” campaign developed in partnership with the foodies over at Taste Fresno to encourage Fresno residents to support locally owned restaurants.

Please feel free to join Mayor Swearengin at the dinner – or plan to eat at a locally owned restaurant at least once a month to help our local economy. If you’re planning to join Mayor Swearengin, just remember – when it comes to the bill, you’re on your own!

The Local Bites event in March will be held in conjunction with the Fresno Food Expo.

All of the dates and additional information on the Local Bite Night schedule is posted on the Taste Fresno website at www.TasteFresno.com/localbites. For a great list of locally owned restaurants, see the City of Fresno’s Local Business Directory or go to www.FresnoLocalBiz.com.

Local Hero Campaign

The Fresno Regional Independent Business Alliance, supported by the City of Fresno, this week launched the Local Business Hero Campaign to provide a platform for local business owners to tell their story and be recognized by their peers for the positive work they’re doing. A news release announcing the initiative is available here.

Local Business Heroes can be nominated through the FRIBA website at www.friba.org.

FRIBA is a grassroots non-profit organization made up of local business owners.

A Beer-Raising at Downtown Hofbrau!

Finally, there will be a new and unique way for the community to come together to help a locally owned, downtown business – a beer-raising!

On Friday, Craig Scharton, the City’s assistant director of the Development and Resource Management Department, and Fresno Bee columnist Bill McEwen will be pouring beers to help the Downtown Hofbrau make enough money in one night to pay for their permanent Beer License in time for the opening of baseball season.

Locally-owned and downtown-brewed Tioga-Sequoia brews will be on tap at the Downtown Hofbrau, 1920 Tulare St., from 5 to 7:30 p.m. So come and order a cold one from Bill and Craig and enjoy some great Hofbrau sandwiches.

The PBID Partners of Downtown Fresno are continuing their push for downtown revitalization by sponsoring the event.

Please remember: Drink responsibly and make sure you don’t drink and drive. Plan ahead and designate a non-drinking sober driver – drinking and driving is dangerous and carries consequences that include costs upward of $10,000, time in jail, the loss of your driver’s license and an increase in insurance rates.

Public Tickets Still Available for Fresno Food Expo

A limited number of public tickets for the second annual Fresno Food Expo are still on sale. The tickets can be purchased for $40 at www.fresnofoodexpo.com; a limited number are available at the Lime Lite, 1054 W. Shaw, for $30.

At the event, the public will be able to taste products from more than 100 of the San Joaquin Valley’s finest food and beverage exhibitors at the bigger, better Fresno Food Expo in March.

The Food Expo will be held at the Fresno Convention & Visitors Bureau New Exhibit Hall on Thursday, March 8. The public portion will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.

Mayor Swearengin’s State of Downtown Information on City Website

Did you miss Mayor Swearengin’s State of Downtown address? Click here to find links to a video of the event as well as the Mayor’s PowerPoint presentation. (Scroll to 2012 State of Downtown Breakfast.”)

Still Time to Sign Up for Mayor’s Fresno Citizens Academy

Only a few spots remain for the next session of the Mayor’s Fresno Citizens Academy, an initiative that allows Fresno residents to learn more about their government by hearing directly from top policymakers and decision makers at City Hall. The next session of the free, eight-week program begins at City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and ends on Tuesday, April 10. Sessions will be held each Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.

For more information on the Citizens Academy and to apply for the program, please visit the City’s website at www.fresno.gov/FCA.

Good news for Fresno!

Two pieces of good news for Fresno over the past week:

The American Architectural Foundation has selected a City of Fresno project, “Mariposa Corridor – Connecting Fresno’s Past and Future,” to receive leadership training and technical assistance through the Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Design Academy. City representatives will join national sustainable design experts for an intensive three-day workshop in April. The City’s federal partners in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative played a pivotal role in helping the City receive the training.

Rejuvenated by the continuation of international air service to Guadalajara, Mexico, more than 1.2 million passengers traveled through Fresno Yosemite International Airport in 2011, a 6.4 percent increase over 2010. That’s the third highest traffic year in FYI’s reported history.

Mayor Swearengin’s Activities

While some of these activities outlined below are not public meetings, these are some of the issues being addressed this week by Mayor Swearengin:

Meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and area business leaders to discuss transportation issues;

Leading a meeting with Fresno Unified School District and Housing Authority officials on neighborhood revitalization strategy and objectives for 2012;

Conducting meetings related to the Fresno Food Expo;

Joining the management team of the Big Fresno Fair to celebrate a major award related to their annual food drive;

Speaking to the Fresno County Friends of the Library.

‘Go Green and Clean’ at Lions Park

The “Go Green and Clean” park beautification program will be held at Lions Park, 4650 N. Marks, on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, hats, gloves and sun block and bring plenty of drinking water. Basic work tools and supplies will be provided by the City of Fresno. Each volunteer will be required to complete a volunteer form and waiver.